It's Raining
by SMacked4ever
Summary: It's raining in New York City. Stella arrives to work early, only to find Mac is not there as expected. She wants to tell him the truth, but will he be there to hear it? Read & Review! SMacked


_Title: It's Raining_

_Rated: K+_

_Summary: It's raining in New York City. Stella arrives to work early, only to find Mac is not there as expected. She wants to tell him the truth, but will he be there to hear it?_

_As I Watch the Rain, I Think of You_

_I__t's raining. It's five thirty in the morning, and usually, you're already here. Where are you Mac?_

Stella entered the office of her coworker and her best friend, Detective Mac Taylor, to not see him there, working at his desk. It was odd; he would always be there before her. She smiled to herself and knew that for once, she could be the one to brag and say she had gotten to work first. But it didn't seem right; it just wasn't normal for Mac Taylor not to arrive the earliest he could to work. Sometimes, he wouldn't even leave the crime lab.

She wandered around the lab, alone, hoping to see him somewhere around the lab. She'd had news to tell him, so she hoped he'd be here. Could Mac Taylor finally have taken a day off work? And it had to be the day she had something very important to tell him? She shook her head. No, he would be here. That she was sure of.

An hour passed by, and still no sign of Mac. She had been standing outside Mac's office for about fifteen minutes now, staring at the spot where he would be normally working. She knew if she stared any longer, he wouldn't just appear out of thin air. She was sure he wouldn't mind if she waited for him inside his office, so she decided to enter the room and take a seat right at his desk.

It was still raining. But it was not rain that brought clamorous thunder or severe weather; it was the rain that seemed quite peaceful, barely making a noise as it lightly tapped the glass window of the office. She liked the scene of New York City, seeming peaceful to her for once, as it rained that morning. The rain reminded her more of Mac, and again, she wondered where he was.

She had to tell him important news. It didn't concern a case, but it had been something that was bothering her for a while now. She was becoming more and more anxious to tell him, and due to his late arrival, she worried that something had happened to him. She looked down at her cell phone and thought if it would be wise to call him, just to make sure things were okay. Maybe…

She dialed his number, put the phone to her ear, and surprisingly, heard the ring tone of Mac's cell only inches away from her. "Hello Stella. I see you've arrived to work early today."

Stella spun around in his chair and smiled at him. "Yes, I have. I see you have arrived _late._"

They both flipped their cell phones closed and greeted each other with a hug. After the hug, Mac immediately, even though he had arrived late, asked if he'd missed any important cases, just as she would if she had arrived to work after him.

She shook her head. "Actually, I thought we could do something first. Come on." She took his hand and directed him back to the elevator, down to the ground level, and back outside, while Mac gave her a look of suspicion. During this time the rainfall had gotten a little heavier, so once they stepped outside and away from the area of protection from the rain, they would get soaked. Mac protested. "Stel, I just got to work. I don't need to get all wet…"

"You don't need to step out into the rain; I took you out here to ask you something."

"And you couldn't ask me upstairs?"

Stella shrugged. "I thought it'd be better here." She looked at her shoes uncomfortably, then found her confidence and looked back up at Mac. She had to do this. They'd been friends for so long, and she wanted to tell Mac that she liked him more than just a coworker or a friend. What if she never got the chance to tell him? "Mac, I want to say that, you're a great friend, one of the best friends I've ever had in my life."

"Thank you, Stella," Mac said, smiling. "I feel the same way about you."

Stella smiled also. "I don't know if…" How could she say it? Could she really say she loved him right in front of his face? It was almost too hard, but she was determined to tell him. If Danny and Lindsay were able to admit their love for each other, she should be able to tell the same to Mac. So she said the truth, right then and there. "Mac, I love you. Now I understand if you don't feel the same way, it's okay…"

Mac took a hold of her hand, causing her to stop mid-sentence. She looked at him, unable to read his expression. She waited for his words. "I do feel the same way. Stel, I've always loved you. I've just been too nervous to say it myself."

"Really?" she asked.

"I wouldn't lie to you, Stel."

She smiled. She turned to look at puddles forming on the sidewalks. "It's still raining," she said.

"It's been raining for a couple hours now," Mac agreed. "It's exactly seven now."

Stella nodded.

"We should probably be heading back inside to start working."

"We should," Stella clarified. "But I think we should take a walk in the rain, down to the coffee shop. Don't worry, I do have an umbrella."

Mac considered this for a moment. "I don't see why not. I could use a little coffee right now."

Stella nodded and quickly went back inside, to her office, and retrieved her umbrella, as Mac waited patiently outside. She opened up the umbrella and the two walked hand in hand to the coffee shop.

"So tell me, when do you actually begin to like me?" Stella asked.

"I've always liked you," Mac replied. "I think right when you walked through the door to the crime lab I knew you and I would work well together. What about you?"

"Probably the same for me as well," she admitted.

"I'm glad you told me Stel. You want to know why I was late today?"

She looked at him questioningly. "Why?"

"Because I was going to tell you I loved you, and I didn't know how to say it."

She smiled. _I love the rain._

_The End. A cute little oneshot. Hope you enjoyed! Please review!_


End file.
